Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
people strive to work at one of only half a dozen large companies that dominate virtually
every segment of the economy. A relatively rigid hierarchy based heavily on the Confucian
ideals of respect for authority and filial piety continues to dictate the relations between gov-
ernment and citizen, employer and employee, husband and wife, and parents and offspring.
With such a common pool of experiences to draw on, South Korean society, not surpris-
ingly, is highly cohesive. People tend to harbor similar beliefs and outlooks, and are also
quick to band together in the face of real or perceived slights or threats. This single-minded-
ness was a major contributor to the country's meteoric rise from the ashes of the Korean
War, and it means there's little evidence in South Korea of the alienation or tensions that
sometimes plague larger, more diverse nations. But it also means the country can be highly
intolerant of different lifestyles or opinions, and tough on those on the lower tiers of the
social ladder—namely women, young people, and the poor.
Look a bit closer and it becomes apparent that South Korea is a more varied place than
initial impressions suggest—and that it is in a state of massive flux. Some of the country's
divisions have existed for generations, such as those between the wealthy labor-shy nobility
(
yangban
) of the past—now represented by the Seoul elite—and the working underclass.
People from the heavily industrial Gyeongsang provinces of the southeast and their coun-
terparts in the southwestern Jeolla provinces—historically a hotbed of insurgency and left-
wing sentiment—have for centuries viewed each other with such unbridled suspicion that
they'll still hesitate to marry someone or vote for a politician from the opposite side. And
residents of Seoul have long looked on places outside the capital with a certain degree of
disdain.
These frictions have been augmented by a host of new tensions that have accompanied
South Korea's rush into modernization and increasing prosperity. Elderly people gripe that
the young have let traditions slip, by, for example, daring to smoke in front of their seniors
or neglecting to support their aging parents. The current generation, having no experien-
ce with war or hardship, can't understand why older folks are always harping on about the
need for discipline and a modest lifestyle, or sticking to formalities that no one else seems
to have time for. Fewer youth—and politicians—seem to be willing to toe the government's
official line that the North Koreans are the enemy, directing their anger instead toward the
larger powers they believe have conspired to keep the Koreas apart. An increasing number
of young women are ignoring the wishes of their parents and getting married late, if at all,
and having only one or two children when they do. Rather than rushing to the carmakers and
shipbuilders that gave their fathers jobs for life, young men are pursuing riskier but more
personally fulfilling careers in areas like animation and electronic gaming. As recently as
